INDIANA, Pa. – The IUP women's volleyball team continued its strong run through Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) play Friday evening, sweeping Edinboro in three sets at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex.
The Crimson Hawks (21-4, 12-1 PSAC) earned the 25-21, 25-19, 25-14 victory to extend their winning streak to six matches. Edinboro fell to 11-14 overall and 4-9 in conference play.
Junior right-side hitter Jess Neiman led the IUP offense with a match-high 13 kills, hitting .423 with just two attacking errors on 26 attempts. Neiman also contributed two block assists, finishing with a team-high 14 points.
Sammy Stephens added nine kills while hitting .375, and Charlotte Potvin provided an efficient performance with six kills on 17 attempts without an attacking error, finishing with a .353 hitting percentage.
Senior outside hitter Delaney Concannon contributed six kills and a match-high 13 digs, while Brooke Kessler added 11 digs to help anchor the Crimson Hawks' defensive effort.
Maddie Zechman directed the IUP offense with 24 assists and two service aces, while Ellie Rauch added 13 assists. The Crimson Hawks finished with 42 kills and a .243 hitting percentage, holding Edinboro to 28 kills and a .093 hitting percentage.
The opening set featured several early lead changes before IUP established control. The Crimson Hawks recorded 14 kills in the frame and held off the Fighting Scots for a 25-21 victory.
IUP continued its balanced offensive attack in the second set, again registering 14 kills while limiting Edinboro to a .162 hitting percentage. The Crimson Hawks pulled away for a 25-19 victory to take a commanding two-set advantage.
The Crimson Hawks delivered their strongest performance in the third set, hitting .310 with 14 kills and just five attacking errors. IUP held Edinboro to a negative hitting percentage in the frame, cruising to a 25-14 victory to complete the sweep.
Defensively, IUP finished with 44 digs and four team blocks. Mikalah Kim, Potvin and Neiman each contributed two total blocks.
Edinboro was led by D'Aira Whitner, who recorded 12 kills while hitting .524.
The victory marked IUP's 21st win of the season and strengthened its position near the top of the PSAC West standings.
The Crimson Hawks will return to the KCAC on Saturday for a highly anticipated matchup against Gannon, with the top two teams in the Atlantic Region NCAA Power Index rankings set to square off.
